Device for counting cans and other articles.



o. JT JOHNSONI DEVICE EOE COUNTING GANS AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24, 19L4A Eatented Jan. 5, 1915,.

2 SHEETSvSHEET l.

0. I. JOHNSON.

DEVICE EOE GOUNTING CANS AND OTHER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1914,

1,123,545. y Eatena 121111.51915 2 SHEETS-S HEBT 2.

-OLIVER J. JOHNSON, WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA.

DEVICE FOR COUNTING- CANS .AND OTHER ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Jan. 15, 1915.

.Application led April 24, 1914. Serial N o. 834,046.

To aZZ whom it may concern to travel past the register.

Be it known that I, OLIVER J. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wheeling, in the county of Ohio and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Devices for Counting Cans and 'other Articles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in registers or counting devices of the kind that are used, for example, for counting tin A register of this sort which is used at the present time in 'can factories for counting tin cans, comprises an operating wheel for the countingv mechanism arranged to be engaged and turned by the cans as they pass the same. The operating wheel isl intended to be turned a definite distance, say 'one quarter of a revolution, by each can, and a brake is provided for the purpose of preventing the operating wheel from turning more than the intended amount. This device. is not,how ever, entirely satisfactory, sincel the operating wheel is apt to overrun and prevent the proper count if the brake becomes worn or is adjusted to oder but little resistance to the movement of the wheel, which is necessary when the device is operated simply by the weight of the cans descending by their own gravity through a chute or runway. y

The object of this invention is to provide a Stop or controlling device for registers of this kind which will positively insure of the operating device being moved only tothe intended extent by each can or article, and which will also prevent the reversemovement or malicious operation of the same. This is accomplished by the use in conjunction with the operating wheel or member of a movable stop or device which is moved by each can or article and controls the movement of the register operating wheel or member. In its normal position the stop device blocksthe movement of the operating member. As each can or article approaches the register it moves the stop device to a position in which it allows the movement of the operating member. The can then releases the stop device and permits it to again return to position to block the movement of the register operating member before the latter can be turned more than the intended amount. Preferably the device is also constructed to prevent the reverse giovement of thev register operating mem- In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a can chute or runway provided with a counting device embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional .elevation thereof in line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 1s a similar view showing the stop device in ,position to permit the movement vof the register operating member. Fig. 4f is a sec- Htional elevation thereof in line 4-4, Fig. l. cans or other articles as the same are caused Fig. 5 isa perspective view, enlarged, of

chute or runway through which the cans or articles Xto be counted are adapted to descend-by gravity; A represents the chute or runway and B the register which is supported adjacent to the chute conveniently by securing the register casing directly to one side of the chute A. This invention is not concerned with the construction of the registering or counting mechanism per se and the same may be of any usual or suitable construction, comprising, for instance, a series of number wheels b and an operating* shaft C which is operatively connected to the number wheels so as to turn them in a'well known manner by the intermittent rotation of the shaft C. The operating shaft C is provided with a star wheel or operating member D'arranged to be engaged and turned by the cans or articlesdescending through the chute or runway A. In the device shown, the points of the star wheel are adapted to extend into the path of the cans, and the wheel is intended to be turned one-quarter of a revolution by each can or -article as the same passes the wheel in a manner similar to the operation of a turn-stile.

E represents the usual brake which is inthe plunger tends to arrest the movement of the shaft and yieldingly hold it stationary after each one-quarter of a revolution thereof. The operation of a brake of this sort is, however, not reliable, as it does not hold properly when the corners of the square portion of the shaft wear round, or when the spring is adjusted light enough to permit the operating wheel and shaft to be turned simply by the weight of the cans descending through the chute.

The construction and operation of the parts thus far described are well known.v

F represents a stop or controlling device which coperates with the register operating star wheel or member D to limit the movement thereof by each can or article to the intended amount, ,that is, to one-quarter of a revolution i'n the device shown. This stop, shown in Figs. 1-6, consists .of a lever which is suitably pivoted to swing parallel with the face of the star wheel D toward and from the path of the cans or articles passing through the chute or runway. The lever F has an arm f adapted to project into the chute in position to be engaged and moved by the cans or articles, and an arm f provided with an abutment or lateral projection f2 which, vin the normal position of the lever, stands in the path of a series of pins G projecting from the adjacent face of the star wheel so that the pins are adapted to strike said abutment and thus prevent the turning of the star wheel. The abutment preferably has a slot or passage f3 through it through which the pins G are adapted to pass in one position of the lever, as hereinafter explained. As shown in Figs. 1 6, the lever is also provided with an arm f4 which is so weighted as to normally hold the lever in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which its arm f projects into the chute in position to be engaged by` the cans, and its abutment f2 is held in the path ofthe cooperating pins G on the star wheel D. The 'lever could, however, be otherwise weighted or operated by a spring or other means to hold it yieldingly in this normal position. In the construction shown, the lever is pivoted by a screw iz, to abracket H secured to the chute A and its swing is limited by a screw l1. which projects from the bmacket into a slot h2 in the lever. however, be pivotally supported. and its movement limited in any other suitable way.

The location of the arm f of the stop lever is such that the same 1s adapted to be engaged by the can or article and the stop leverlswung on its pivot t0 the position indicated in Eig. 3 before the can engages the star wheel lD. In this position of the lever the pins G of the star wheelv are adapted to enter the passage f3 in the abutment f2 of the stop lever. The stop lever is retained The lever could,

in this position by the'can or article until the latter has engaged and turned the starv wheel far enough forone of the pins to enterthe passage f3. IVhen the star wheel has been turned far enough for the pin to pass out of thepassage f3 or clear the abutment the can will have passed the arm of the stop lever and the lever will be returned to its normal position by its weighted arm, thereby placing the abutment in the path of the next pin Gr on the star wheel and preventing the star wheel from being turned more than the intended amount, which, in the device as shown, is. one-quarter of a'revolution. In the normal position of the stop lever the abutment f2 is located between two adjacent pins on the star wheel, see Fig. 6, and these pins are adapted to strike the opposite ends of the abutment and thus prevent the rotation of the star wheel -in either direction unless the stop lever is rst moved to swing the abutment out of the path of the cooperating pins G. The stop device thus positively prevents the star wheel from being turned more than one-quarter of a revolution by each can, since the star wheel cannot overrun while a 'can is in engagement n ith it and the stop lever must be moved again by another can before the star wheel can be further moved. In addition the stop device prevents the wheel from being turned in either direction by hand unless the stop device is first moved -ter suitable for use where the cans or articles are moved horizontally, as by a traveling belt or conveyer I. The construction and operation of the register and stop delvice in this arrangement are the same as before explained except that the parts occupy a horizontal instead of an upright po- `sition, and the weighted Yarm is omitted from the stop lever F. The weightedarm is "not needed in this arrangement since the other arms f f of the lever tend to swing downwardly and act in the same way as the weighted arm to hold the lever in normal position, shown in Fig. 7

Figs. 8 and 9 show a stop device of an other construction which controls the operation of the -register in a similar manner. In

this construction the star `wheel D2 has a circular groove f: ,in one side with four connectmg slots c .extending radially therefrom or toward the center of the wheel. The stop lever F2 has a pin Z which extends i can again releases the lever the pin Will be returned into one of the slots and hold the star Wheel. v r

Still other constructions embodying a stop device operated underthe control of the cans or articles in the manner described,

to lock and release the star Wheel, could be used.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination with a counting mechanism including an operating member and means whereby the articles to be counted are caused to move said operating member, of a in one direction by said articles, and means for returning the stop device When the articles disengage the same, said stop device c ol operating with said operating member to prevent or permit the operative movement thereof depending upon the position of the stop device.

2. The combination with a counting mechanism including an operating member; ar-4 ranged to be moved by the movement rela- Ative thereto of articles to be counted, of a stop device Which is movable to and from a position in which it obstructs the operative 'movement of said operating device and Which` is arranged vto be moved from said obstructing position by said articles.

3. The combination With a counting mechanism including an operating member arranged to be moved by articles passing the same, of a stop device which is movable to and from a position in which it obstructs the operative movement of said operating device, the position of said stop device being controlled by said passing articles. l

4. The combination with a counting mech,- anism including an operating Vmember arranged td be moved by articles passing the same, of a movable stop device provided with an abutment arranged to intercept parts on said operating member to obstruct the movement thereof, said stop device being actuated by said articles to move saidabutment out of the path of said parts 'of i said operating member, and means for returning said stop device.

5. The combinationwith a counting mechanism including an operating member arranged to be moved by articles passing the same, of a stop device Which is provided with an'abutment and is movable to and from a position inV which said abutment is in the path of coperating parts of said operating member for obstructing the moveand means for returning said stop device when the article disengagcs thel same.

7. The combination With a counting mechanism including an operating member ar' ranged to be intermittently rotated by articles passing the same, said operating member being provided with stop projections, of a pivoted stop Which is arranged to be moved by said articles from a position in which it is adapted to engage said stop projections,

'and means for returning said stop device. movable stop device -arranged to be moved 8. The combination With a counting mechanism including an operating member arranged to be intermittently rotated by articles passing the same, said operating member being provided With stop projections, of a pivotedv stop which is normally held by gravity in a `position in which it is adapted to intercept said stop projections for preventing the operative movement-of said operatingmember, and which is arranged to be engaged and moved from saidposition by said articles.

9. The combination With a counting mechanism including an operating member arranged to be intermittently rotated by articles passing the same, said operating member being provided With stop projections, of a pivoted stop4 Which has an actuating arm, and an abutment adapted-to intercept said stop projections for preventing the operative movement of said operating member, and which is normally retained in a position in which said arm is adapted' to be engaged by said articles to move said abutment out of the path of said stop projections.

10. The combination W'ith a counting mechanism including an operating member arra ed to be intermittently rotated by article passing the same, said operating member being provided with stop projections, of a pivoted stop which has an actuating arm, and `an abutment adapted to intercept saidk stop projections for preventing the operative movement of said operating member, and Which is Weighted so that it is normally retained by gravity With said arm in position to be engaged by said articles to. move said abutment out ofthe path of said stop projections.-

11. The combination with a counting mechanism including an operating member arranged to be intermittently rotated by ar-- ticles passing the same, said operating memlber being providedwith stop projections, of

a pivoted stop which has an actuating arm, and an abutment adapted to intercept said stop projections for preventing the operative movement of said operating member, and .which is normally retained in a position in which said arm is adapted to be engaged by said articles to move said abutment out of the path of said stop projections, said abutment being of a shape adapted to prevent the rotation of said operating member in both directions.

12. The combination with a counting mechanism including an operating member arranged to be moved by' articles passing the same, of a movable stop device which normally obstructs the movement of said operating member and is arranged to be engaged by/said articles in advance of -their engagement with said operating member and moved by an article to a position in which'it permits the operative movement of Witness my hand, this 1st day of April,v

OLIVER J. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

y A. O. PRAGER,

GEORGE E. WATERHOUSE. 

